The Maid
by Witchisis
Summary: Let Martin Chow tell you his story...


Martin Chow was a Malaysian, living in Singapore and working in a factory as a mechanic. He lived in a rented home, owned by Mrs. Lee., the sixty year old woman in Jurong. Martin works twelve hours daily, leaving in the morning only to return at night. Sometimes he does overtime, spending the whole night in the factory.

One night, he woke up having the sudden urge to visit the bathroom. He unlocked his room door and went to the living room. The kitchen was visible with a bright light streaming through the hallway. Martin went to the kitchen and saw a lady in her mid-twenties, tanned skin and dark hair tied into a ponytail, washing the dishes quietly with her back facing him. He moved pass her to get to the bathroom, located at the end of the kitchen.

As he was returning back to bed, he noticed that the maid wasn't there any longer. Thinking she might have gone to bed, he switched off the lights and went back to bed.

After that night, work got more stressful as many machines broke down. Martin and his colleagues had to repair some and write reports. He was pushed a lot as he was the only chief mechanic.

On a fine Monday morning he felt ill and took medical leave, to rest at home. He went to visit the doctor and was given some pills and told to take some rest. Upon reaching home, he ate breakfast that he had bought and swallowed a few pills. After a while, he went to bed, to rest and soon fell asleep.

Later in the afternoon he awoke and felt his stomach grumbling. He was hungry and he was late in taking his medication. He got off from his bed to get clothed, readying himself to get to the nearest food court. As he was getting his wallet and keys from the bed side table, he saw a bowl of hot soup.

At first he was surprised, but then he realized that perhaps the maid must have noticed that he was ill and made him lunch. _How thoughtful of her,_ he thought and smiled. He removed his shirt and devoured what was laid for him. After taking his pills, he leaned on his pillow, reading a book and soon he fell asleep again.

Few hours later, he woke up to a slightly darker room. He got off from his sheet and grabbed the t-shirt lying on his bed. As he was putting on his top, he noticed that the dishes were no longer on the bedside table. Smiling to himself, he unlocked his room door and proceeds to the living room.

The living room was dark as the curtains were all drawn. Martin looked up at the clock and saw it was seven in the evening. He went into the kitchen and found the maid washing the dishes again. _What's there to wash?_ He wondered to himself.

'Hello,' Martin called out to her. The maid turned to him with a perplexed look. He smiled at her and she returned back his smile. 'Thanks for the soup,' he said, 'it helped me a lot.' The maid nodded, not speaking a word.

She was a beautiful Indian lady. She has the features of a model; high cheekbones, nice bright dark eyes and a sweet warm smile that enlightened her face. She had a warm glow around her that makes one feel comfortable to be with her.

'My name is Martin,' he introduced. 'What's yours?'

'Vidya,' she replied, almost a whisper. Her voice was soft and sweet.

He noticed she was avoiding his eyes, and was extremely nervous. For a moment, he stood silently staring at her, admiringly. He felt like he was pulled towards her. The extraordinary glow that shimmers around her invoked a prickle of attraction within him

Noticing his silence, Vidya looked up and caught him staring at her. Immediately, she turned back to the sink and continued washing the dishes. Understanding her gesture, Martin took a glass of water and left her to sit on the couch in the living room. He switched on the television and flickered through the channels, still in daze of her attraction. _She is an adorable, sweet and petite girl_, he thought and that was the last thing in his mind as he slumped back into darkness.

A door creaked open and small frictions of light seeped through. Martin cracked an eye open and saw Mrs. Lee standing by the front door. Realizing he must have fallen asleep, he looked across the room at the television and the control in his hand. It was switched off. _Weird_, he thought.

'When did you return home?' Mrs. Lee voice broke into his thoughts and he looked up at her. 'Didn't went to work today, was having fever.' He replied, smiling at her with respect.

Mrs. Lee looked at him worriedly and walk towards him, settling down on the couch beside him. 'Are you feeling fine?' she asked. Martin nodded, 'Don't worry.' he assured her.

'Have you taken your dinner? Need me to get anything for you?' she asked with full of concern. Martin smiled at her concern. 'I haven't had dinner yet but I had lunch late. Your maid was so kind enough to share with me a bowl of soup.'

'Maid?' she stared at him with a puzzled face. 'What maid?' she asked. 'That Indian maid, she told me her name was Vidya.' he replied, casually.

'Vidya?!' Mrs. Lee looked alarmed. She looked at the kitchen then turned to Martin. 'Y-you saw her?' she stammered. Martin looked at her worried and confused. 'Yes, I did.'

Mrs. Lee shook her head and related an incident to him. 'Vidya was a good maid.' She began. 'She was with me five years ago. A year after she started, she received a call about the news of her family's death in the Tsunami's disaster, four years ago. She was badly shaken and cried uncontrollably. I tried to be there for her but she hanged herself in the kitchen.'

Martin stared at Mrs. Lee with utter disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was when he remembered that he had locked his room door from the inside and there was no way that the maid could have brought him his meal.


End file.
